You say tURmeric, I say turMERic…

Blissfully mild January weather has lulled me into thinking that winter might have forgotten about us this year. Frostbitten fingers and long slogs through snow have been replaced by raincoats and slogs through muddy puddles. Not that the South Bend permacloud, wind, and drizzly days are anything to get hella jazzed about, but we’re usually up to our eyeballs in snow and ice this time of year.

News flash: Winter is coming, bitches.

With the snowflakes flying and Jack Frost slapping me in the face once again I’ve been returning to recipes that fill me up and defrost my frozen heart post-run. And nothing does that quite like a big pot full of delicious soup.

#cauliflowerpower

This curry cauliflower bisque is one of my favorites, and not just because I appreciate awesome alliteration. Roasted cauliflower is a friggin’ delicious+nutritious veggie packed with phytonutrients, and the lentils add little punch of legume-laden protein to the mix. Throw in the almond milk and you get a soup that’s so creamy and tasty you’ll forget it’s actually good for you.

Likewise, the spices in here add more than just flavor. Among our team turmeric has been the hot new spice of choice, due to it’s anti-inflammatory properties and zingy, earthy taste. Our runners have been throwing that ish in tea and taking spoonfuls of it straight just to get some sweet muscle-healing action. As fun as that sounds, I figure this soup is a much tastier way of incorporating it into my diet. Just watch out, this stuff basically turns everything it touches bright yellow; it’s great for adding color recipes, yet slightly less great when your hands look like they had an unfortunate spray-tan accident. Remember, with great anti-inflammatory power comes great responsibility.

soup’s on, beezies

Curry Cauliflower Bisque

ingredients

head of cauliflower, chopped

1 small yellow/sweet onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup lentils

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups + 1/2 cup almond milk (coconut milk works too)

pepper, chopped parsley, plain yogurt to top

here’s what you do…

set your oven to 425 and let that sucker get nice and toasty

throw your cauliflower, onions, & garlic cloves in a big mixing bowl. toss in the turmeric, cumin, and salt, then drizzle coconut oil over the top and mix it up nice and good

throw that delicious mix of veggies + herbs on a baking sheet and roast the sucker for about 30min in the oven. make sure to mix it up with a spatula about halfway through, you don’t want it getting too crispy

once your veggie mix is thoroughly roasted throw it all in a saucepan or stockpot. add the lentils, broth, and 2 cups of milk and stir it all together. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer for about 20-30min

when your lentils are tender put the mix into a blender (or use a hand blender if you’re real fancy) to get everything hella smooth. put it back in the saucepan and add in the final 1/2 cup of milk, stirring to combine everything

now you’re ready to eat! top that delicious bowl with chopped parsley, a dollop of yogurt, and a hearty crack of pepper